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8.A. - Page 124 <br /> 1 1 �df IGt LL <br /> manatt I P�elps � philfips <br /> HonorabYe Mayor and Members of the City Cauncil <br /> August 1 S, 2011 <br /> Page 13 <br /> CEQA xequires that mitigation measures be effective, feasible and fully enforceable and should <br /> be listed, considered ana selected to reduce all potentially significant ia,npacts to levals of <br /> insignificance. "An EIR shauld focus on mitigation m�as�res tl�at are feas'rble, practical, <br /> and effective." (Kastka & Zischke, Practice under the Ca.lifornia Environmental Quality Acfi (2 <br /> ed Cal CEB 2008), § 14.3, catfng Napa Citizera,s for Honest Gov't v. Napa County Bd. of <br /> Supervisars (20�] } 91 Ca1.App.4th 342, 365.) The mitiga#ion measures idenCified by the EIR <br /> and adopted t�y the Planning Commission are wholly inadequate to reduce the significant <br /> irnpacts of this project in any respect. <br /> o As a general rn�tter, the Mitigation Measures, and the Mitigation Manitoring and <br /> Reporting Plan (while reflecting sorne of the outsized risks of th.e proposed <br /> projeet) are far too detailed anc� ambitious for effective rnonitaring and <br /> enforcement to occur. {See FEIR, Appendix A: Mitigation Monitoring and <br /> Reporting Prograxn.} As stated abo�e, they also underestimate th� amount or <br /> scope of carrective action that wauld be required to counteract the destructive <br /> effects of the project. This is not to say the MMRP shauld nat be arnbitious; <br /> rather, it reflects the dispropartionate siz� and cornp�exity of the project for this <br /> enviromnentally fragile area. Th� FETR daes not rnentian the addeci camplicatioil <br /> afmanitoring 18 building projects being separately undertaken by nunnerous <br /> individual owners. Neither this fact nar the apparent lack of feasibility af the <br /> mitigation measures was addressed in the ETR or the findings of tl�e Commission. <br /> We believe tk►al ihe Cammission's summary statement adopting the MMRP as <br /> "enforceable" and "capable af being fully implemented" is incorrect. Abseiit <br /> acieyuate mitigation measures, the Cornmission's conclusion that no significant <br /> environm�ntaf impact will result is similarly without basis. <br /> o The Commission finds that rneasures such as the planting of sinall replacement <br /> trees a��d vegeta�ioii will sufficiently mitigate the lass of five acr�s of open space, <br /> ninety-one mat�re i�rees, naturally-formed waterways and other aspec#s o�#his <br /> scenic area. (See e.g., FEIR, Mitigation Measure Biology-16) However, the <br /> project area has bee� largely untouched for o�er SO years (�he trees fonn a canopy <br /> o�er a cur�ved dirt road}, arid no at�nount of aesthetic mitigation will rcverse whAt <br /> affected residen�s have fit�ingly referred to as "strip mining" of the �area. <br /> o The FEIR refers to the "temporary" nature of the signi�Ficant air quality and noise <br /> imgact caused by praject development and construclion. The FEIR omits <br /> mentio�ling in this context that such const�etion is proposed to continue for up to <br /> nine years - although it dnes mention that tree reraova] and heavy construction <br /> will occur for the entire nine year c�nstruction period. (See DEIR sec. 3: <br />